


Your Friendly Neighborhood Demon

by luminfics, sincelight



Series: Round 2018 [5]
Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Demons, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-23
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2019-05-27 10:36:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15022763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luminfics/pseuds/luminfics, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sincelight/pseuds/sincelight
Summary: It's been a while since Minseok has had an assignment, especially one quite like Luhan. He's prepared to show up and ruin his life, not to catch feelings for the beautiful human.





	Your Friendly Neighborhood Demon

**Author's Note:**

> Username: anonymous until reveals
> 
> Prompt Number: 28
> 
> Title: Your Friendly Neighborhood Demon
> 
> Rating: pg-13
> 
> Word Count: 10.4k
> 
> Warnings: minor character death, religious themes
> 
> I hope I did this prompt justice! I added my own little twist to it that I think is kinda cool. I've never written for a fest before so I was really nervous going into this, but I think it came out pretty good. I like the fic a lot and I hope you do too, dear prompter!

The gentle crackling of eternal Hell fire is something that takes a while to get used to. This is something Minseok knows from personal experience. It’s been over two  _ hundred _ years and, between the raging fires, the screaming and moaning from the damned souls, and his neighbor’s pet Hellhounds that bark incessantly, he still has trouble falling asleep some nights. 

 

Tonight is one of those nights. He’s tossed and turned, shoved his head under his pillow, even resorted to shouting at a passing soul to kindly ‘ _ shut the fuck up _ ’ as it floated by wailing. He just can’t sleep. So, he sits up, legs hanging over the edge of his bed, and he stares out the glassless window across from his bed. He wishes the demons were allowed to have actual, closeable windows, but he knows there’s a good reason for why things are done the way they are. The constant noise of the inner workings of Hell serve as a reminder to the demons that they are lucky to be where they are, instead of wandering aimlessly like the rest of the miserable, used-to-be-human souls.

 

Minseok knows he’s lucky; he’s got a great set up down here. His house is large, filled with everything he could ever need for the rest of eternity and, unlike the lower demons, he’s allowed free passage between Hell and the human’s world. He’s been granted permission to use his demonly teleporting capabilities whenever he pleases, a big win for him since the head demon tends to not like making anyone happy, ever.

 

Such a luxury comes in handy quite often, being an incubus and all. He can leave to feed whenever he’s feeling hungry without having to bother with the higher-ups and their paperwork and questions. He loves this small freedom he’s been granted, but it comes with one tiny drawback.

 

“Ahhh!” Minseok nearly jumps out of his skin. A thick black smoke dissipates in the middle of his room, and from it appears said drawback. “Kyungsoo, what brings you here at such a late hour?”

 

Silence. Nothing but an intimidating, ultimately terrifying, black-eyed gaze.

 

Minseok doesn’t dislike Kyungsoo, no, but he sure is frightened by him. Something about his big, solid black eyes truly gets under Minseok’s skin. He finds himself frequently wondering just how long Kyungsoo has been head demon; Minseok’s been in Hell for two hundred years and his eyes are still unmistakably human in appearance.

 

“I have an assignment for you.” He doesn’t give any further explanation, just hands over a file and poofs away, leaving Minseok waving away smoke and coughing.

 

He moves to his desk where he sets the file down and takes a seat. It’s been a while since he’s had an actual assignment and he’s kind of, sort of excited. He can only hope this one takes a while, can cure his boredom for a few weeks, or months…if he’s lucky.

 

“Luhan,” he reads atop the first page, bold black letters giving a name to the pretty, pretty face in the picture just below. “Well, hello gorgeous.” 

 

He spends well over an hour reading through the entire file, learning tons of useless information about Luhan. But still, his favorite detail is that pretty face, those lovely eyes, and his messy ash blond hair. Luhan is easily the hottest assignment he’s ever been given; he’ll have to remember to thank Kyungsoo for this one.

 

He stares at Luhan’s picture and is momentarily jealous of Heaven’s electronic filing systems, computers filled with files of every human that is and ever was, and everything you could ever want to know about them, including video recaps of their lives. Minseok smirks to himself, wondering if there’s lots of sex in Luhan’s recap. His stomach growls and he stands, keeping the file tucked safely under his arm. A hand slides slowly down his chest, over his stomach, and rests curled around his growing erection. “Ah, so hungry.” So, he closes his eyes preparing to transport himself to the human’s world, focusing hard on Luhan’s pretty face and hoping this will be a fun one. He just loves ruining people’s lives; that’s what demons are for, after all. 

  
  
  
  


While he is excited to stalk Luhan and learn more about his life, and how he can make it worse, he needs to feed first (direct orders from Kyungsoo that, as an assignment, Luhan is sexually off limits). He opens his eyes and recognizes exactly where he is, a small club located just at the outskirts of Chicago. He’s been here before many times to find a snack, and the quality is what has him returning regularly.

 

He spots a girl at the edge of the dancefloor that appeals to him and begins making his way over, stopping every few feet or so to accept advances from strangers, male and female. He’s in his element here, thriving off the raw sexual energy being passed around the dance floor; it swirls around the room, unnoticed by the humans. But, to Minseok it’s thick; he can feel the energy buzzing at his skin, revitalizing him, sating his hunger, though not enough. He wants…needs sex, needs to be inside someone. He can feel his body burning just thinking about it.

 

“Hi,” Minseok says, voice dripping like honey as his arm slips around the girl’s waist. She’s in a red dress, form fitting, short, leaving nearly nothing to the imagination. Just Minseok’s type. He gazes into her eyes; watching prey fall under his spell has always been his favorite part. It’s so easy, being an incubus. The girl bites her lip and lets Minseok drag her away from her friends, off to the bathroom where he fucks her against the closed stall door. The way she moans and claws at his back, rips at his hair, lets him know he made the right decision picking her; she’ll feed his hunger for at least a week.

  
  
  
  
  


He’s not entirely sure where he is this time around. He waves at the smoke around him to clear it faster and takes a few steps; it’s morning, that much he can tell. He knows he’s in China and, from the look of things, he’d say he’s in a small city similar to the one the club in Chicago is in. But, the lettering on the signs are foreign to him and he knows this will only lead to bigger issues.

 

“Kyungsoo!” Minseok shouts, having poofed himself back to Hell. He’s standing behind Kyungsoo who has his back turned, looking up at, “Jongin,” Minseok says, falling to his knees in respect.

 

Jongin is, as the humans call him, the devil. He reigns supreme over all of Hell and is, according to human lore, a real dick. The thought makes Minseok laugh because, in reality, Jongin is just a soft, soulless being who rules a kingdom of fire and likes to spend most of his time playing with Hellpups.  

 

With his head still down, Minseok stands and takes a step back. “I’m sorry, sir, I hope I wasn’t interrupting.”

 

Jongin giggles as one of his pups nibbles at Minseok’s pant leg. “Of course not, Minseok. Is there something you need from Kyungsoo?”

 

“I wanted to know where it is exactly that you sent me?”

 

Jongin moves now. He slides up behind Kyungsoo and wraps an arm around his waist. “Beijing,” he says, pulling Kyungsoo closer.

 

Minseok is in shock watching this happen right in front of him, “Are you two like…” he points a finger between the two then shakes his head. “Never mind. Can you help me out with the whole language barrier thing?”

 

Jongin slides out from behind Kyungsoo, makes his way to Minseok and drags his knuckles down Minseok’s cheek. He smiles. “You’re so sweet, sometimes I wonder how your pretty little soul ended up down here.” His fingers graze Minseok’s earlobe and Jongin smiles once again. “I’ll take care of things for you, go get to work; Luhan is going to hate you.”

 

With a final smile from Jongin and a blank stare from Kyungsoo, Minseok nods and poofs back to China, confused about how Jongin is going to take care of an entire language that Minseok doesn’t know, but he has faith in Jongin’s abilities. 

  
  
  
  


Minseok is great at fitting in with humans, having been one himself at one point. He’s watched civilization evolve into what it is today, the technology advancing, wars, everything; he’s seen it all. Things are much different now from when he was still walking Earth as a human, and he wishes, sometimes, that he could be alive and get to experience them as a human still. 

 

Regardless, he’s quite skilled at fitting in. He blends well into any environment, can integrate himself into the busy hustle of city streets seamlessly. And now, with the words on street signs suddenly making sense to him, he’s done just that; camouflaged himself into yet another unknown city.

 

He can hear people around him chatting; his ears don’t understand the language, but his brain does, and it makes him smile. Jongin truly outdid himself this time, he thinks.

 

Along with his many other abilities, Minseok can choose whether or not he’d like to be visible to humans. Most of the time, he remains seen; how else would he find pretty things to feed from? And now, walking the streets slowly filling with people, he’s visible. He knows later, once he locates and follows Luhan to his home, he’ll have to go incognito, but for now he’s enjoying the sun on his dead, demonly skin.

  
  
  
  


China is a busy place. Tons of people, lots of crowds Minseok can barely manage to make it through. He rolls his eyes at the thought of actually finding Luhan in all this; he’ll have to remember to ask Jongin about whipping up some sort of GPS, human tracking device type deal for his next assignment. Especially if he’s sent to China again. 

 

Unfortunately, he doesn’t have said device, only his instincts and a slightly better than average human sense of smell and hearing, which do little to help him locate someone he’s never smelled or heard speak before. 

 

He sighs, overwhelmed with the amount of people around him. It’s going to take forever to find Luhan; he’s going to be stuck in China, on this assignment, for the next ten years.

 

After turning down an alley that any normal human would go out of their way to avoid, he’s significantly calmer. No one is around and it’s much quieter, easier for him to focus on the task at hand. Then suddenly, he hears a loud commotion at the other end of the alley; he can see two people standing just outside a doorway, arms up as they argue with each other.

 

Minseok moves closer slowly, trying to hear what they’re saying, then shakes his head and laughs at himself, remembering that they can’t see him so he doesn’t need to sneak around.

 

He gasps when he gets closer and sees that, miraculously, one of the people engaged in the argument is his target, Luhan. He smiles, excited to let the games begin. But first, he’ll shadow Luhan for a while and see what’s going on in his life, see how he can make things worse for him. He gets a little closer, enough so that he can see Luhan’s face clearly. Maybe he’ll also see how he can manage to fuck Luhan without Kyungsoo finding out, because wow is he hot.

 

Minseok can feel the anger radiating off of Luhan and the man he’s yelling at. It turns him on, how much raw emotion is swirling in the air around him, and it smells so good. He likes anger almost as much as lust, both taste similar, but lust just has a little something extra that makes it that much more appetizing to Minseok. It’s sweeter.

 

The argument comes to and end and Luhan tears the apron off that he’d been wearing and throws it on the ground, stomping on it before turning on his heel and marching directly toward Minseok’s invisible form. Minseok doesn’t move, just lets Luhan stride right through him and, oh how good his anger tastes this close up; it makes Minseok shiver and simultaneously curse Kyungsoo for his stupid rules.

 

Minseok composes himself and turns to follow Luhan, eyes closed, letting his nose trail the scent Luhan is leaving behind him.

 

Luhan walks for a long time down streets Minseok doesn’t know, but he doesn’t care because Luhan’s anger hasn’t faded and it’s energizing to Minseok; he’s never felt more alive, even with how dead he currently is. He can’t help but wonder what he was fighting about with that man, but he’s sure he’ll figure it out in time.

  
  
  
  


Luhan ends his walk in front of a small bakery. He enters the building and sits, oblivious to the demon sitting beside him in the small booth seat. Minseok watches him scroll through a website on his phone, periodically looking up at the door. He wonders who Luhan is waiting for. He also wonders what kind of product Luhan uses on his hair, because it’s styled wonderfully; he reaches out and touches it, laughing when Luhan scratches at the same spot.

 

A few minutes pass and Luhan perks up at the sight of an equally beautiful boy walking through the front door. Minseok raises an eyebrow, hoping that this stranger will be of use later on in making Luhan’s life a living Hell, no pun intended. 

 

“Yixing,” Luhan says; Minseok leans closer sniffing the air, Yixing is nervous. “I’ve had such a terrible day, I’m so happy you came out to see me.”

 

Yixing gives a little chuckle and continues nervously fiddling with his hands on the table. “What uh…what happened today?”

 

Luhan huffs and pushes his bottom lip out into a pout, “My stupid boss fired me for something I didn’t even do. I tried to tell him it wasn’t me, but he wouldn’t listen.”

 

Minseok grins, so that’s what they were yelling about earlier.

 

“Oh…uh, maybe I should wait to tell you—“

 

“Tell me what?” Luhan asks excitedly, leaning closer to Yixing with a sweet smile.

 

“No, it’s okay…I’ll wait.” Luhan frowns and Yixing sighs. “I think we should break up.”

 

Minseok is giddy; he’s happily kicking his feet under the table, almost unable to believe that this is happening right in front of him. His job is being done for him.

 

“You…you what?” Luhan looks absolutely crushed.

 

Yixing bites his lip and stands, “I’m breaking up with you.”

  
  
  
  


After watching Luhan cry in public for an hour, Minseok follows him home. He lives in a hardly adequate apartment on, from what Minseok can tell is, the bad side of town, and all his furniture is clearly secondhand stuff he got for cheap. He almost feels bad for the kid.

 

He watches Luhan eat a sad bowl of ramen, sighing every so often and letting tears fall from his eyes. He’s embarrassed for him, if he’s being honest. If he only knew someone was watching him have the worst day of his life and laughing at his expense.

 

After another particularly pathetic hour of crying, Minseok decides it’s finally time; he’s going to show himself. He just can’t decide if he should make a spectacle of it; poof up in a cloud of black smoke, eyes glowing red, sharp teeth on display to really terrify Luhan. Or, he could go outside, knock on the door pretending to be a new neighbor, keep his demonly powers low-key. Minseok turns to look at Luhan in the fetal position, still sniffling on the couch, and he smirks. Luhan could use some excitement in his life.

 

Minseok stands in the center of the small room and cracks his neck, giddy for what’s to come. He takes in a deep breath and lets a growl rumble low in his chest, not missing the way Luhan’s eyes scan the room cautiously. The boy bolts upright on the cushion and presses his back flat against the couch, knees pulled up to his chest, clearly confused and terrified, trying to figure out why his floor is smoking.

 

The laugh that comes from Minseok, still invisible to Luhan, is menacing in every way and, when his red eyes become visible, Luhan gasps and tries to bury himself further into the couch.

 

“W-who’s there?”

 

Minseok rolls his eyes. If he had a dollar for every time he’s heard that.

 

“W-what’s happening?” Luhan is near hyperventilation, chest heaving as the thick smoke fills his living room. “Please…please, don’t hurt me.”

 

Something in Minseok snaps. The smoke disappears instantly, leaving just a normal looking boy standing in the middle of a stranger’s apartment. “You think I’m here to hurt you?” he asks, putting his hands on his hips. Luhan doesn’t speak, just gawks in disbelief. “Oh, right,” Minseok says, waving a hand nonchalantly, “I’m Minseok, demon. Here to ruin your life. Nice to meet you.” His sweet smile contradicts everything else about this situation.

 

Luhan gulps, his body still trembling. “A demon? You’re a demon? What?”

 

“Yep,” Minseok says with a shrug. “A demon.” He sits beside Luhan who shifts away, and turns to give him a smile. “And, I know I said I was here to ruin your life but, to be honest, at this point I don’t know what more I could really do to you.” He laughs to himself. “You had a kinda brutal day today, yeah?”

 

“Y-you were following me all day?” Luhan blinks, mouth agape. “Wait, so you’re not responsible for everything that happened today?”

 

“I wish I could say I was, but,” Minseok shrugs, “I guess you just have bad luck.”

 

Slowly, Luhan slides down letting the lower half of his body hang off the couch. His chin is pressed against his chest and he sighs. “What the fuck,” he whispers. “There’s no way you’re a demon…you’re lying,” he accuses, hopping to his feet, pointing a finger in Minseok’s face.

 

Minseok grins. “I’m lying. So, I’m not a demon?” He stands now, leaning into Luhan’s personal space. “I just magically poofed into the middle of this room with glowing red eyes…and I’m not a demon?”

 

Luhan’s shoulders drop and he takes his bottom lip between his teeth. “Well…when you say it like that—“

 

“I’m a demon.”

 

“You’re…” Luhan plops himself onto the coffee table and peers up at Minseok between the fingers covering his eyes. He laughs, “There’s a whole fucking demon in my apartment. Of course! Why not?” His laughing intensifies as he stands and begins pacing the room, talking to himself. “So what kind of demon are you then, huh? Are you going to kill me? Steal my body? What?”

 

“You watch too many movies, Luhan.” 

 

Luhan stops pacing and turns, eyes wide. “You know my name?”

 

“I know a lot about you,” Minseok shrugs, “boss gave me a file.”

 

“You have a file on me?”

 

Minseok rolls his eyes, “Is that not what I just said?”

 

Luhan ruffles his hair in aggravation. “I’m sorry, this is all just a little hard to believe, you know? A demon in my living room isn’t something I ever really expected to happen to me.” He glares and crosses his arms, “So,  _ sorry _ if I’m questioning things.”

 

Minseok appreciates Luhan’s snotty tone. “You’re gonna be fun,” he says with a sly smile, then disappears in the same black smoke he’d appeared from.

  
  
  
  


“Hello!”

 

Luhan squeals and drops the plate in his hands. It shatters on the floor in front of him and he grits his teeth, watching Minseok casually stroll over to the fridge and open it. “You could use the door like a normal person,” Luhan grumbles, mostly to himself as he picks at shards of porcelain. “Don’t have to pop up and scare me.”

 

“You have like, nothing to eat,” Minseok says with his head in the fridge. He looks over his shoulder and smiles. “Also, I’m not a person, remember? And, what would be the fun in passing up an opportunity to scare you?”

 

“I hate you,” Luhan deadpans.

 

“Good, that means I’m doing my job right.”

 

Luhan sweeps up the mess and grabs another plate, sighing when Minseok insists on a plate for himself as well. They remain silent as dinner finishes cooking, then Luhan serves pasta onto the plates and takes them to the table. 

 

“So, what exactly is your job?”

 

Minseok chews a few seconds longer, swallowing the mediocre food, and clears his throat. “You know, just like general chaos. I’m not here to hurt you or possess you…none of that weird stuff.” Luhan nods, silently urging him to continue. “I specifically told Jong…my boss that I didn’t want to be that kind of demon. I like people,” he shrugs, “I used to be one. Now that I’m not, it’s just kinda fun to mess with them.”

 

“You’re like Casper the friendly ghost,” Luhan laughs.

 

“Nah,” Minseok says, leaning back in the chair, “think of me more like Minseok, your friendly neighborhood demon.”

 

There’s a long pause; Luhan just stares at Minseok with an undiscernible look in his eyes. He chews slowly, then swallows and clears his throat. “What are you going to do to me?” He looks around his small apartment then back to the demon across from him. “I don’t see how you could make anything worse for me. My life is as shitty as it could be.”

 

Minseok lets out a long sigh, trying to think of a reasonable comeback. “I’ll figure something out.”

  
  
  
  


After a long day of doing absolutely nothing with Luhan, Minseok is happy to be back in Hell. The thought surprises himself; he’s usually itching to get out and go walking among the humans but, something about Luhan is exhausting. 

 

The human likes to talk. Maybe too much. Minseok knows the boy’s entire life story, his family history, every job he’s ever had, and all the guys, and the one girl, he’s ever kissed. Minseok is sure that if Luhan wasn’t so absolutely gorgeous he’d have given up this assignment to another demon by now. But, those wonderful brown eyes and rosy pink lips, all of Luhan’s dainty features have Minseok wrapped around his weak, pretty human finger. Minseok went straight to Hell when he died, so he’s never seen or even heard what an angel sounds like, but if he had to imagine, it would be everything Luhan is. And, it makes Minseok’s head spin. If his heart still had a beat he’s sure Luhan’s smile would cause it to pound. Luhan’s laugh is like music and his touches, though few and accidental, feel to Minseok like when he’s picked up on a potent scent of human lust. And, it’s exhausting. Not being allowed to do the things he’d like so desperately to do to Luhan. Curse Kyungsoo and his stupid rules. 

 

To put it simply, Luhan makes Minseok’s mouth water, his body hunger for him; Luhan is the ultimate unobtainable piece of ass. And God damn, does he smell so good, permanently slightly nervous in Minseok’s presence.

 

“Come in,” Minseok says from his bed, eyes fixed on the door. Baekhyun enters and Minseok has to squint at him. “I need to invest in some sunglasses or something, you hurt to look at.”

 

Baekhyun smiles and, his smile is so pretty, so bright; Minseok has to close his eyes. “I’m sorry.” He sits at the edge of Minseok’s bed and folds his hands in his lap, looking down at his laced fingers. “I think it’s starting to dim a bit, don’t you?”

 

Minseok sucks in a breath and grimaces, “Yes?” He uses both hands to trace the white glow framing Baekhyun’s body, being careful not to get too close. “It seems...I don’t know? Smaller?”

 

Baekhyun is a mistake. Two years ago his soul was sent down to hell, accidentally, after having made it more than half way to Heaven. Now, because of the angel’s error, he’s left with a permanent Heavenly glow around his body. It’s pretty, that much anyone in Hell can admit, but it’s painful to look at and even more so to touch; Minseok learned that the hard way. 

 

When Kyungsoo had learned of Baekhyun’s situation (he didn’t hold back on his rant of how unorganized the angels are), he immediately tried to work out a way to send Baekhyun to his final resting place. After days of brainstorming, Kyungsoo and Baekhyun’s hopes were crushed in an instant by Jongin. Only pure souls are allowed entrance into Heaven. Because Baekhyun is nothing more than a wandering, lost soul, if he were to step foot in heaven he would diminish, withering away. Like he never existed.

 

So, Baekhyun remains in Hell as Kyungsoo’s secretary, Heavenly glow burning the eyes of all who look his way.

 

“Minseok, what—“ Kyungsoo stops speaking immediately and hisses, drawing back into the doorway he’d entered through. “Baekhyun,” he grunts, “nice to…see you.”

 

“Sorry,” Baekhyun mumbles, looking at his lap once again.

 

“No, no, it’s okay,” Kyungsoo insists, holding his clipboard in front of his face as he steps further into the room. “I just needed to ask Minseok about his progress with his assignment.”

 

“Uh.”

 

Minseok can’t see it because of the clipboard, but he knows Kyungsoo is giving him that unamused face. “What does ‘uh’ mean? I don’t like the sound of that.” He slams the clipboard down against his thighs. “Did you fuck your assignment? I swear to god, Minseok I will—“

 

“Of course not,” Minseok interrupts; Kyungsoo cocks an eyebrow. “I’d  _ never _ break one of your rules, Kyungsoo.” Kyungsoo’s eyebrow raises higher still. “Trust me, Soo, I’d love to fuck the soul out of Luhan, but I haven’t. Okay?”

 

“And, how are things progressing?” Kyungsoo scribbles something onto his paper. “Any noteworthy experiences for Luhan, preferably near death ones?”

 

Minseok chuckles. “Well, the thing is…his life is kinda terrible already so I’ve been having trouble thinking of what to do to make it  _ more _ terrible.”

 

“That’s good news,” Kyungsoo says, surprising both Minseok and Baekhyun. “Your job is finished then. Just get the file to me by the morning and—“

 

“No!” Minseok gets to his feet as he shouts.

 

“No?”

 

“I mean…I’m sure I can think of something. A human’s life can always get worse!”

 

Kyungsoo narrows his eyes, but doesn’t argue. He leaves with a warning, giving Minseok three days to wreak havoc on Luhan’s life or else he’s closing the case and bringing Minseok home.

 

“What was that?” Baekhyun asks as he makes himself more comfortable on the bed.

 

“I…I just…I think that—“

 

“Oh!” Baekhyun grins wide and points a finger at Minseok. “You like your human, don’t you?” He claps and bounces on the mattress, laughing at the way Minseok tries to look annoyed. “I didn’t think demons had feelings, this is interesting!”

 

Minseok sputters, “What? I don’t…that’s…I don’t have feelings for him. That’s stupid. Ridiculous.” Baekhyun’s smile widens. “Shut up, Baekhyun. I don’t.”

 

“You’re a terrible liar.”

 

“I don’t have feelings for him. He just smells great. And has a pretty smile. And face. And his laugh sounds so nice. And—“ Minseok’s eyes widen, then he glares at a still-smiling Baekhyun. “I literally hate you.”

  
  
  
  


“You know,” Minseok starts; he’s watching Luhan scroll through job listings online, “this might be a little unorthodox, but I could like…help you.”

 

Luhan doesn’t answer; he pushes his glasses further up the bridge of his nose and grunts, completely concentrated on what he’s reading. Minseok thinks he looks good from this angle, he looks good from every angle, but this one especially.

 

“Luhan?”

 

“Yeah?” He doesn’t look away from his laptop. Minseok sighs and the screen goes black. “Hey,” Luhan whines, “don’t do that, I’m trying to find a job.”

 

“I said I could help you.”

 

“Why would you do that?”

 

Minseok shrugs. “Why not?”  _ Definitely not because you’re absolutely fucking gorgeous and perfect and wonderful _ . “I have nothing better to do.”

 

“Wouldn’t you like, get in trouble? You’re not supposed to be here to help me.”

 

Minseok shrugs once again. “No one will know.”

 

“I don’t know if I should trust you.”

  
  
  
  


“Where are we going?”

 

Luhan is struggling to keep up, not that he has much of a choice with the grip Minseok has on his arm. He doesn’t know where they’re going, but Minseok has been dragging him for twenty minutes, without stopping, and without telling him what it is that they’re doing. 

 

“Here,” Minseok says once they finally stop. “I want you to go into this store and ask for a job.”

 

“What? That’s not really how things work in the real world, Minseok. I can’t just—“

 

Minseok places a hand over Luhan’s mouth, “Just do what I said.”

  
  
  
  


“Yes, I’d like a job, please.”

 

Luhan feels like an absolute fool standing in front of this woman, demanding a job. He’s here with no resume, hair un-brushed, and he’s still in his pajamas. At least Minseok is standing beside him which is, oddly comforting.

 

The woman doesn’t say a word, but Luhan can tell she’s thinking he must be crazy. She looks his disheveled appearance over and lets out an unimpressed noise. Luhan saw that coming but, what he could have never imagined, is the way her pupils dilate when she meets Minseok’s gaze. Her eyes seem to glaze over and something about her just seems off. 

 

“You will give Luhan a job,” Minseok says almost robotically. The woman nods, repeating what Minseok had just told her. Minseok presses two fingers to her cheek and hums, drags his fingers down to her collarbone. He turns to Luhan with a wide grin, “She’s easy to manipulate, most people usually put up at least a little fight.”

 

“You’re doing this?” Luhan sounds panicked; his eyes nearly bulging out. “Is it gonna hurt her?”

 

“Of course not. She won’t even remember it, or me.” He grabs Luhan’s bicep, a friendly gesture, but it sends a surge of pleasure coursing through him and he has to quickly let go. “All she’ll remember is giving you a job.”

  
  
  
  


The journey back to the apartment has Luhan rambling excitedly about how cool Minseok’s power is. Minseok, on the other hand, remains silent, unable to forget how touching Luhan felt. He licks his lips, having to clench his fists at his sides to refrain from grabbing Luhan and fucking him against the nearest flat surface. 

 

He doesn’t understand. No human has ever affected him this way, not even ones he’s  had sex with. He thinks maybe it’s because he knows he can’t have his way with Luhan. He’s off limits and it makes the temptation that much sweeter. 

 

“So, will you do it to me?” Luhan asks.

 

“I’ll do anything you want me to,” Minseok answers, having not heard the question.

 

“Really? Awesome, I’m so excited to see what it feels like. The lady in the store looked like she didn’t feel a thing.”

 

The pieces fit together in Minseok’s head and he stops walking. “You want me to manipulate your mind?”

 

“Duh, that’s what I just said.” Luhan rolls his eyes and smacks Minseok in the chest with the back of his hand. “Do it now, I’m so excited.”

 

Just that one little touch from Luhan has Minseok’s eyes rolling back. “Not here,” he says, “we’ll wait till we get back.”

  
  
  
  


The door barely has time to shut before Luhan is rounding on Minseok, all too eager to be manipulated. He asks if it’ll hurt, if Minseok has ever done it to someone willing to let it happen. 

 

“Just, stop talking.” Minseok takes a deep breath. He feels nervous for some reason, all he can smell on Luhan is excitement; not his favorite human smell, but on Luhan it smells delicious. He asks Luhan what he wants him to do and the ‘ _ anything _ ’ Luhan says to him makes him smirk.

 

It starts with Luhan’s pupils dilating, just like the woman, just like everyone else Minseok has ever done this to. Luhan’s breath shortens, becomes shallow; his mouth opens and he takes a few steps closer to Minseok.

 

“How do you feel?” Minseok asks gently, curling a hand around Luhan’s arm, just above the elbow. “Good?” Luhan nods and closes his eyes, letting himself fall into Minseok. His face is tucked into Minseok’s neck, his heavy breath hot against his neck. “I can make you feel better,” Minseok whispers into Luhan’s hair.

 

Luhan moans, bringing his hands up to twist his fingers in Minseok’s shirt. His breath trembles and Minseok has to wrap arms around him to keep him standing. 

 

“Fuck me.” Luhan’s eyes are hazy when he looks up, a dull brown gaze set somewhere distant, yet still looking into Minseok’s eyes. “Minseok, fuck me,” he begs, pleads with a needy whine.

 

“Oh, shit,” Minseok breathes, looking up at the ceiling because he knows if he meets Luhan’s eyes he’ll give in. And, he refuses to give in while he’s manipulating Luhan; he may be a demon, but he’s not a monster. So, he breaks the spell and steps back, giving Luhan enough space to compose himself. But, he doesn’t.

 

Luhan steps forward, expression blank but the life is back in his eyes now. He brings a hand up to Minseok’s cheek and pulls his bottom lip between his teeth. “Are you allowed to kiss me?”

 

“No,” Minseok answers honestly.

 

Luhan’s lips crash against Minseok’s with enough force to knock him off balance. He stumbles, but catches himself, and pulls Luhan tight against him, moaning into his mouth. He’s smelled lust before, but Luhan’s is intoxicating, sending Minseok’s every sense into a frenzy. All he can think of, smell…all he can taste is Luhan. Kyungsoo’s rules ring somewhere in the back of his head, but Luhan’s thick cloud of lust is enough for Minseok to ignore the thought of any future consequences. 

 

Minseok is pushed down onto the couch where Luhan seats himself on his lap, tosses his arms around Minseok’s neck, and resumes their heated kiss.

 

“I think you’re better at manipulation than me,” Minseok jokes between deep breaths. His hands slip under Luhan’s shirt, slowly feeling up every inch of his slim waist.

 

“I—“ Luhan gasps when Minseok’s nails tease at his skin, “not manipulation…seduction.” He’s sure he would have explained himself more thoroughly if Minseok didn’t choose that moment to, literally, rip the shirt off his body.

 

Luhan can’t even begin to care that Minseok just destroyed his favorite shirt; all he can focus on is the way Minseok’s lips feel against his skin and, “Oh!”, he has fangs. “Do that again.”

 

“What?” Minseok questions, dragging the sharp points of his teeth over Luhan’s chest once again, “This?”

 

“Oh God, oh God.” He tugs at Minseok’s hair, both hands balled into fists against Minseok’s scalp. “Why is that so hot? Fuck, that’s so hot.”

 

Minseok chuckles, a low, demonly rumble that vibrates through Luhan’s bones. “Maybe I’ll bite you later, if you’re a good boy.” Luhan lets out a pathetic whine that sends a wave of pleasure through Minseok.

 

“Minseok!”

 

The voice startles Minseok, and Luhan so much that he falls from Minseok’s lap onto the floor. The black smoke dissipating in front of them leads their eyes up to a very pissed off Kyungsoo.

 

“I knew you couldn’t follow my rules! I can sense your feelings for this human.” His eyes are red and his teeth are pointed into fangs; he’s so livid Minseok can feel it and it makes his hair stand on end. Luhan is beside him on the couch now, trembling in fear, clinging onto Minseok’s arm. “Human assignments are not for your pleasure, demon; I could not have made that any clearer.” 

 

Minseok is so frightened by this he apologizes, unable to meet Kyungsoo’s eyes. 

 

Suddenly, Kyungsoo is standing in front of them, leaning into their personal space. “Do your fucking job or I will see to it that you burn in the pits and,” he points to Luhan, “his soul is sent somewhere you’ll never see it again.” His teeth are bared; an angry snarl makes Luhan whimper. “Am I clear?”

 

Minseok gulps and nods, and Kyungsoo disappears, leaving Minseok stunned and Luhan too frightened to move.

 

“Who was that?” Luhan asks, voice still quivering; his nails digging into Minseok’s skin where his hands are wrapped tightly around his arm.

 

“Kyungsoo.” Minseok sniffs the air. The pleasant, lusty smell from before is gone now, replaced with a pungent fear emanating from Luhan. “My boss.” He sighs and rolls them over, lying on his side and burying his face into Luhan’s shoulder. “I’m a demon and he scares me.”

 

“What did he mean by send my soul somewhere?” Luhan nudges Minseok to make more room, and they rearrange into a more comfortable spooning position. “He’s not going to kill me, is he?”

 

“He wouldn’t,” is the only answer Minseok can give, and he’s not even sure if he’s being honest.

  
  
  
  


Unsurprisingly, bad things start happening to Luhan everywhere he goes. He can’t walk down the street without almost getting hit by a car. He forgets his wallet when he goes grocery shopping, then finds he’s locked himself out when he returns home to get it. Luckily, a locked door is nothing to Minseok, and he unlocks the door from the inside for Luhan.

 

It’s a tremendous burden on Luhan’s already stressful life, and he’s dangerously close to the point of snapping and locking himself away in his apartment for life. Minseok promises to keep him safe, promises that he won’t let Kyungsoo (they both know all of this is his doing) hurt him. And, Luhan trusts Minseok. He doesn’t know why he trusts a demon, but it’s easy for him. Trusting the demon with the sweet smile and giddy laugh is only natural for Luhan; he just isn’t sure why. He can’t pinpoint just why he feels safe, protected, with Minseok. 

 

So, they’re walking down the sidewalk together, arms linked and both smiling. Luhan insisted they go out drinking, told Minseok he deserves it after the week he’s had.

 

“I’ve never almost been hit by a car so many times in my life,” he exclaims, drunkenly tripping over his own feet. Minseok keeps him upright, and they continue walking. “Kyungsoo is crazy but, do you really think he’d kill me?”

 

Minseok keeps the small smile on his lips, giving Luhan nothing more than a non-committal noise and a quick shrug. “I’d stop him, though, if he did try.”

 

Luhan hiccups and wraps both arms tight around Minseok’s. He rubs his cheek against Minseok’s bicep and sighs, absolutely content. “You’re sweet. I’m glad you’re my demon.”

 

It’s like a punch to the chest, hearing those words.  _ My demon _ . Luhan thinks of Minseok as his. If Minseok didn’t know any better, he could have sworn that he felt his heart begin to beat. He looks down at the top of Luhan’s head; he can feel the fondness he has for the human bubbling at the surface of his skin, over his entire body, like a pleasant buzzing sensation he never wants to end. 

 

Minseok hikes Luhan up a little higher, getting a better grip around his body, and takes in a deep breath of Luhan’s comforting scent. “Let’s get you home, my drunk human.”

  
  
  
  


“Yixing and I had only been dating a couple months,” Luhan says out of nowhere. He’s still drunk, in the kitchen digging through the fridge and cabinets. Minseok raises his head from where it’s resting on his arm, giving the back of Luhan’s head a curious look. “I don’t really think I was sad about him breaking up with me,” he continues, “I just was already having a bad day at that point.”

 

Minseok sits up now. Luhan reenters the room with a plate of assorted cut fruits, and snatches it from Minseok’s reach with a glare. “You don’t even need food, don’t eat what little I have.”

 

Minseok smiles. “So, why are you thinking of Yixing all of a sudden?” He takes an apple slice from the plate and pops it into his mouth.

 

“I don’t know,” Luhan sighs, body deflating into the couch, “I’m drunk.” He allows Minseok to take another piece of fruit, and then sighs. “Do you think I should be more sad about him than I am?”

 

The look in those eyes is something Minseok can’t understand and he gets lost staring; time seems to slow when he gazes into Luhan’s eyes this close up. Like, the past two hundred years have meant nothing up until this exact moment and, now that he’s here, his entire existence makes sense. He touches Luhan’s cheek.

 

“I’ll never let you be sad again.”

 

His arm is still outstretched and he blinks in confusion, curls his fingers around the now empty air where Luhan had just been.

 

“What?”

 

“Enjoying yourself, lover boy?”

 

Kyungsoo. Of course.

 

Minseok chooses to ignore him. He’s a grown man, a two hundred year old demon; he can make his own decisions. But, when he attempts to go back, and can’t, he turns to Kyungsoo with furious eyes. “What did you do?” he demands, standing up to face Kyungsoo. “Why can’t I leave?”

 

“I warned you,” Kyungsoo says with a calmness that only intensifies Minseok’s anger, “to do your job or you wouldn’t see him again.”

 

“That’s not fair,” Minseok shouts; he’s clenching his hands into fists at his sides.

 

“You sound like a child,” Kyungsoo mocks. “You’re in Hell, nothing is fair. Pull yourself together and,” he looks down, “unclench those fists before you do something you’ll sorely regret.”

 

He loosens his fists, sighing, knowing he’s lost. There’s nothing he can do. There’s no way around this; he’s fucked up and he knows it. And now, he’ll never see Luhan again, not if Kyungsoo has any say in the matter.

 

“You don’t understand,” Minseok tries, lowering his voice and his head, a sign of respect toward Kyungsoo. “I-I know I broke the rules but, Kyungsoo please, just hear me out.” He meets eyes with his superior and shivers at the empty blackness. “I feel for him something I’ve never felt. It-it’s like a pull that I don’t even understand. I—“

 

Kyungsoo stops him with a raised hand. “I’ve heard enough, Minseok. Rules are rules, and you broke one. You are to remain here and only enter the human realm when you need to feed—“

 

“But—“

 

“You will be accompanied by Baekhyun, who will be sure you do only as you are allowed—“

 

“Kyungsoo!”

 

“If you break my rules again you will be sent to the pits where you will burn with the other damned souls. Am I clear?”

 

“That’s—“

 

“Am. I. Clear?”

 

Minseok clenches his jaw as he nods. “Yes, Kyungsoo. Very clear.”

  
  
  
  


He’s losing his mind, being stuck inside his house all day. He misses his freedom and, with no way to the human world, he misses Luhan. It’s been three days and he can’t help but wonder what Luhan is thinking. Most likely that Minseok has abandoned him; that he’s not coming back. He wonders if Luhan’s feelings are hurt. Looks like he’s done his job after all.

 

He’s expecting Baekhyun soon, to take him to feed; which he’s looking forward to since it’s been a while. While he was with Luhan he never felt the need; he existed off of Luhan’s positive energy alone. Without that, he could use a little something to take his mind off things, and to get the unmistakable scent of Luhan off his skin.

 

“Ready?” Baekhyun asks when he opens the door. Minseok doesn’t speak, but stands and follows Baekhyun out and down the path that leads to the opening for those who can’t just teleport out of Hell. 

  
  
  
  


“Your assignment must have been something special for you to give up all this,” Baekhyun says when Minseok finally exits the club. Baekhyun is leaning against the brick wall outside, invisible to everyone but Minseok. “It seems like a lot of fun, being here, doing what you do.”

 

Minseok only shrugs. “It’s fine.” He motions for Baekhyun to start walking; he’s ready to go back home now that he’s fed. “And, he was something special,” he continues, “He made me feel like no one ever did, not even like my family when I was still human.” He shoves his hands into his pockets and sighs, “I just…I miss Luhan.”

 

Baekhyun stops suddenly and turns. “You were in China, right? Beijing?” He waits for Minseok’s slow nod. “I’ll take you there, but you can’t let anyone know.”

 

Before Minseok can get the chance to respond, to hug Baekhyun and thank him, he blinks and they’re standing in Luhan’s apartment.

 

“Luhan!” Minseok has never been so happy to see a human, his human.

 

The blonde human turns from where he’s standing at the kitchen counter and he gasps. He runs, but not to Minseok.

 

“Baekhyun?” There are tears in his eyes. Minseok is confused, watching Luhan reach out for Baekhyun, watching his hand go straight through him as if he were made of mist. Luhan looks to Minseok now. “Why can I touch you but not him?”

 

It’s Baekhyun who answers, lips trembling, eyes glassy with tears. “He’s a demon with a physical presence. I’m just a lost soul, nothing that can be touched.”

 

“I want to hug you,” Luhan cries, “it’s been so long. I never thought I’d see you again. Where have you been?”

 

Minseok speaks now. “In Hell, with me. How do you know each other?”

 

Luhan waves his hand through Baekhyun’s and smiles. “We were best friends, when he was alive and then…”

 

“And then, I killed myself.”

 

Minseok’s eyebrows raise, “What? I didn’t know that.”

 

“Yeah,” Baekhyun says, still looking fondly at Luhan, “it was…I’d rather not talk about it, actually.”

 

There’s a comfortable silence shared between the three of them. Minseok is happy just to be in Luhan’s apartment again, he’ll worry about the consequences he’ll face later. But, for now, he just wants to hold Luhan.

 

The hug Minseok pulls Luhan into is tight and lifts the human off the floor a few inches. “I’m sorry for disappearing,” he whispers when he places him on his feet again. “I got in trouble. I’m only allowed in the human world with a chaperone; that’s why Baekhyun is here.”

 

“You have to go again, don’t you?” Luhan’s face crumbles and he takes a few breaths to calm himself. “Is this…goodbye, then?”

 

“I’m sorry,” Minseok repeats, placing his palm on Luhan’s cheek he traces his lips with his thumb. “I’ll see you again one day,” he forces a smile, “I hope.”

 

“Minseok, we have to go,” Baekhyun says, rushed. “Kyungsoo knows we’re here.” He grabs hold of Minseok and pulls him away from Luhan. “Good to see you again, Lu.”

  
  
  
  


The pit is as terrible as it sounds. Souls wallowing, drowning in fire, screaming in pain. Minseok never thought he’d find himself here, but seeing Luhan one last time was worth it. He burns for an entire week; Kyungsoo tells him he’s lucky Jongin has a soft spot for him because, if it was up to him, Minseok would spend the rest of his eternity burning.

 

When his week is up and he crawls out of the depths of Hell’s worst punishment, Baekhyun is waiting on his doorstep, sitting with his knees pulled to his chest and a furrowed brow. 

 

“Are you okay?”

 

Minseok doesn’t answer. He steps around Baekhyun and pushes through his door, going straight to his room to slip into clothes, since the fire burned all of his off.

 

Baekhyun doesn’t even get a chance to follow Minseok before he’s exiting his house once again and marching off without a word. He scrambles to his feet and trails behind Minseok, too afraid to ask where they’re going.

 

“Minseok, you can’t be serious?” Baekhyun is eyeing Minseok cautiously. “You just got out of the pit. Are you trying to get sent back?” He watches Minseok round the corner, still following closely behind. Just before Minseok opens the passageway, Baekhyun grabs his arm. “What are you going to do when you get there, huh? Kyungsoo took your teleporting abilities away. Are you gonna walk to China?” Minseok steps forward, but Baekhyun tugs him back. “You’re not thinking, Minseok. Don’t do this.”

 

“I’m going, Baekhyun, and nothing you say is stopping me!” He pushes Baekhyun away from him, but Baekhyun bounces back and grabs onto him once again.

 

“I miss him too, Minseok! He was my best friend; trust me I understand.” He steps between Minseok and the passage and gives his chest a harsh shove. “But, this isn’t going to get you what you want. All you’re doing is getting yourself into more trouble.”

 

“You can either go with me, or get out of my way.”

 

With a final, disappointed sigh, Baekhyun stands down and moves aside, allowing Minseok to step through the passageway and disappear.

  
  
  
  


Luhan’s apartment is empty when he arrives. It didn’t take much time to get there, only a few days; luckily he was able to concentrate enough that the passageway sent him to China, not Beijing, but close enough. 

 

“Looking for someone?”

 

“Kyungsoo,” Minseok growls through clenched teeth.

 

“You’re a creature of habit, you know that?” Kyungsoo jokes, “Very predictable that you’d come here.”

 

“Where is he?”

 

“Who?” Kyungsoo is busy looking over the knickknacks on Luhan’s bookshelf. “Oh, the human? Of course.” He chuckles now, a pleased smile on his face. “He died a week ago, coincidentally, and totally unrelated to me finding out where you were instead of in Hell like you were supposed to be. I believe you were still burning in the pit when it happened.”

 

“You’re lying.”

 

Kyungsoo appears in front of Minseok, their noses nearly touching. “No, Minseok. Unlike you, I pride myself on my ability to follow rules and always tell the truth.” He smirks, and Minseok fights the urge to punch it off his face. “Luhan died slowly, and painfully, in a bus accident on his way to the job you so kindly gave to him. A fitting end for him, I believe.”

 

Kyungsoo resumes pacing the small room, clearly enjoying every second of this.

 

“I wish I could kill you,” Minseok spits.

 

“His soul was appropriately sent to Heaven, where, like I said, you will never see it again.” He turns to look at Minseok, giving him a faux sympathetic gaze. “You have only yourself to blame for his death. He was a good human, and you took his life from him.”

 

“You did this!”

 

“You forced my hand, Minseok. You think I like killing humans? You think I wanted to snuff out a young boy’s life? No. I didn’t.”

 

“Then you shouldn’t have!” Minseok is shaking with rage, eyes a deep red as they focus on Kyungsoo. “You didn’t have to kill him!”

 

“You should have followed the rules.”

 

Minseok screams now and lunges at Kyungsoo, grabbing him by the shirt and sending him back into the wall. “You took the only thing that meant something to me! Why?”

 

“Because you found your soulmate and it would have killed you!” Kyungsoo throws Minseok off of him, shoving hard enough to drop him to the floor. He straightens his shirt and looks down at Minseok; the sympathetic look is sincere now. “You’re a demon, Minseok. A soulmate means terrible things for you. If I would have known, I would have never given you the assignment.”

 

“W-what?”

 

Kyungsoo gives Minseok his hand and helps him stand. “I’ve seen it once before, long before you entered Hell.” He sighs and sits on the edge of the coffee table. “There was a demon who, just like you, came across her soulmate while on an assignment. They loved each other in a way only soulmates can. But, as a demon, you give up your soul.” He looks to Minseok to make sure he’s following along. “Her human’s soul split, giving half of itself to her, thinking it would make her whole again.” Kyungsoo buries his face in his hands. “But, with half a soul, her human died, taking her with him.”

 

“So you—“

 

“I was protecting you, Minseok. I was trying to keep you and Luhan alive.”

 

“I don’t understand,” Minseok shakes his head, tears building in his eyes, “Why didn’t you just tell me? I would have—“

 

“Would knowing have changed anything?” Kyungsoo interrupts, “Would it have stopped you from seeking out Luhan every possible chance you got?”

 

Minseok is silent. He stares down at his feet, knowing that Kyungsoo is right. It would have changed nothing; his pull toward Luhan was too strong for him to keep away. “No,” he whispers. “What happened to them?”

 

“They no longer exist. The two halves of the soul evaporated, much like water, and gave life to other things in the human realm.” Kyungsoo shrugs. “They became trees, or animals, or even other people. But the soul, who they were before they died…exists no longer.” Kyungsoo takes Minseok’s hand and squeezes. “I know I didn’t need to do what I did, but at least this way Luhan’s soul, and you, both still exist.”

  
  
  
  


It’s a slow walk from Kyungsoo’s office to his home. With his anger gone, all that’s left inside Minseok is sadness. He’ll never see Luhan again, touch him, hear his voice or his laugh; all that’s left is the faint scent of Luhan on his skin. All he wants is his bed and a couple hundred years of sleep to forget about everything that’s happened, and everything that never will happen now that Luhan is permanently out of reach.

 

He’s confused when he opens his door and sees Jongin standing in his living room, Kyungsoo beside him, and Baekhyun smiling off to their left. 

 

“Surprise!” Jongin says happily, cradling a sleeping Hellpup in his arms. 

 

“What are you guys doing here?” Minseok says slowly, slightly scared by the way they’re all looking at him.

 

“I’ve been informed of what’s happened and I want to make things right.” Jongin hands the pup off to Baekhyun and moves closer to Minseok, placing both hands on his shoulders. “Before I was here, before Hell existed, I was an angel.”

 

“What?” Baekhyun and Minseok both exclaim.

 

“Hard to believe, I know, but it’s true. I was an angel and didn’t quite see eye to eye with Sehun, he’s god, by the way. Don’t ever meet him, he’s a terrible guy, like a spoiled bratty child with way too much power.” Jongin grins. “Anyway, we didn’t get along so Sehun removed my soul and sent me to the human realm permanently, to be a guardian angel of sorts, to deserving humans.” He turns and, with the most genuine smile says, “That’s how I met Kyungsoo.” He goes to Kyungsoo and takes both of his hands into his own. “He was a poor kid, living on the streets, hadn’t eaten in days, dirty…but he was beautiful. And, I knew the from the moment I looked into his eyes that he was my soulmate.”

 

“But I thought—“

 

“You’re absolutely right,” Jongin says, cutting Minseok off. “Kyungsoo’s soul split itself, much like the woman Kyungsoo told you about, like Luhan’s would have for you. He was dying and I didn’t know what to do, so I went to Sehun and begged for him to save him. To save us.” He grabs Kyungsoo’s chin and tips his head up, gently grazing his fingertips over Kyungsoo’s closed eyes. “Sehun made me a deal. He’d save us both if we would go away, somewhere he’d never have to see me again. He also took away Kyungsoo’s eyes, my favorite part of him. They’ve been black for so long I can hardly remember what they looked like.”

 

“I’m sorry, Jongin,” Minseok says.

 

“Don’t be,” Jongin says easily, “I’d give up Kyungsoo’s eyes a thousand times over if it meant having him here with me.”

 

“That’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard,” Baekhyun blubbers, covering his quivering mouth with one hand. 

 

“We’ve been here a long time, Minseok,” Kyungsoo speaks up now. “It got lonely so Jongin started taking in the unfortunate, wandering souls from the human realm that were undeserving of entrance to Heaven.”

 

“The lost souls were enough for a while, but they were boring and just floated around moaning and groaning, missing their past lives.” Jongin smiles, reminiscing. “One day, I decided to drag one through the lake of fire and it gave it life, not quite a humanly soul, but a personality. It could talk and laugh and interact with Kyungsoo and I.”

 

“That’s incredible,” Minseok says in disbelief.

 

Jongin looks to him and tilts his head. “You were among some of the first I created.” Kyungsoo nods, reinforcing Jongin’s statement. “Don’t tell any of the others, but you’re one of my favorites too.”

 

“This is a cool story and all, and I’m flattered,” Minseok says, shaking his head, “but what does any of it have to do with Luhan?”

 

An eerie silence falls between them; Kyungsoo and Jongin look to Baekhyun, who steps forward, one hand still petting the sleeping pup. 

 

“I just wanted you to know that I…Kyungsoo and I both understand what you’re feeling now. We know how terrifying the idea of never seeing your soulmate again is.” Jongin turns, lips pressed into a tight, thin line, and he motions for Baekhyun to speak.

 

“I’m the only one in Hell that can, so I’ve agreed to go talk to Sehun for you. Jongin believes that he’ll release Luhan’s soul to me, seeing as his angels screwed up and sent me to Hell.”

 

Minseok lets out a shaky breath, “You’d do that for me? Baekhyun I…wait.” Minseok’s eyes narrow. “But, doesn’t that mean—“

 

“My light will fade.” Baekhyun tips his head forward, a small smile curling the ends of his trembling lips. “My soul, what’s left of it, will diminish, yes.”

 

“No,” Minseok rushes out; he crosses the room and grabs ahold of Baekhyun’s arms. “You can’t do that. You can’t—“

 

“Minseok,” Baekhyun looks up, “We both know, I was never meant to be here anyway.”

  
  
  
  


They walk side by side. Minseok has a tight hold of Baekhyun’s hand, squeezing every so often. There are so many things he wants to say to Baekhyun. He’s been a great friend during his short time in Hell. He wants to tell Baekhyun he doesn’t need to do this, but Minseok knows he’s already made his mind up. He wants to say thank you.

 

“Baek—“

 

Baekhyun pinches Minseok’s mouth closed between his fingers. “Don’t say it. I want to do this.” 

 

They stop walking and look up. Minseok has never seen the inbetween before and, as much as the bright light of Heaven hurts to look at, it’s beautiful. Like a more intense version of the light emanating from Baekhyun. The four of them stand there for a moment, watching souls float up, or keep moving forward if they’re going to Hell. 

 

“At least I’ll finally get to see Heaven.”

 

Minseok wraps Baekhyun in a tight hug and begins to cry. In the back of his mind, the thought that Sehun won’t release Luhan, and that Baekhyun will die for nothing, almost has him asking Baekhyun to stay. But he knows Baekhyun is stubborn, and that he’s going to go no matter what anyone says.

 

“You ready?” Jongin asks, a hand falling heavy on Baekhyun’s shoulder. “Just grab onto a Heaven-bound soul and ride up with it. You’ll go straight to Sehun.”

 

Baekhyun takes a deep breath, staring straight up. He nods. “I’m ready.”

 

“It’ll start to hurt fairly quickly,” Kyungsoo says. He’s squinting up at the light. “Your soul will begin to die the moment you begin your ascension.”

 

“Baek—“

 

Baekhyun hugs Minseok once more, mostly to silence him. He pulls back and smiles, wipes the tears from Minseok’s cheeks. “When you see Luhan, tell him I said goodbye.”

  
  
  
  


The wait is excruciating. Kyungsoo, Jongin, and Minseok all stand beside each other watching as Baekhyun disappears into the light. 

 

“What do you think he’ll become,” Minseok says, voice unsteady. He’s looking at Kyungsoo, remembering the story he’d told him earlier. “When his soul evaporates? What do you think it’ll become?”

 

It’s Jongin that answers. “Flowers. They’re the only thing worthy of a beautiful soul like Baekhyun’s.”

 

“Flowers die,” Minseok deadpans, gulping down the lump in his throat.

 

“As does everything, Minseok,” Jongin says. “That’s the beauty in flowers. They may die, but their death will bring life to other flowers. In that way, Baekhyun’s soul will live on forever.”

 

Minseok begins to speak, but a sudden blinding light cuts him off. They all shield their eyes with their hands, waiting for the light to dim, but it doesn’t.

 

“Well, I can see were going to have to drag you through the river of fire, see if we can’t get that Heavenly aura of yours to fade a bit,” Jongin jokes.

 

“Hey,” Luhan says; he’s holding a small potted plant in his hands, staring straight at Minseok.

 

“Hey,” Minseok replies.

 

“Well,” Jongin says, “we’ll leave you two kids to it then.” And, he and Kyungsoo both vanish.

 

Minseok’s body feels numb; he can’t believe he’s really seeing Luhan again, after he’d been told so many times that he never would. “Baekhyun wanted me to tell you—“

 

“I know,” Luhan stops him. He raises the plant, a single white daisy, up between them and offers it to Minseok. “He told me himself.”

 

Minseok takes the small pot between his hands and smiles; Jongin was right, a flower is the only thing worthy of holding Baekhyun’s soul. He clears his throat, wanting to be sure he doesn’t start crying as soon as he opens his mouth.

 

“I’m sorry you died.”

 

Luhan smiles now and lets himself fall into Minseok, pressing their foreheads together. “I’m not.”

 

“I’m glad you’re here.”

 

“Me too.”

  
  
  
  


It takes a few years, and multiple dips in the fire, for Luhan’s bright glow to subside. Minseok invested in a pair of sunglasses, liked he’d told Baekhyun he would so many times, so he’s able to look into his soulmate’s eyes without feeling like he’ll explode. Luhan took over as Kyungsoo’s secretary, a move up the corporate ladder he regrets, because Kyungsoo is pushy and scary. But, things are good. Minseok and Luhan are finally together, they finally have each other. Each day they wake up slowly with kisses and laughter, and on the bedside table sits the potted daisy. Still alive and well, a memory of a missed friend, well-watered and cared for. 

 


End file.
